


Kindred Souls

by WriteLikeTheWind



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Faries, Fluff, Friendship, G/T, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, crossover ship, g/t writing, jimari, jiminette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:56:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteLikeTheWind/pseuds/WriteLikeTheWind
Summary: "Marinette didn't notice at first. But when she woke up after another long night studying and checked the sweater she'd planned to repair, there was no trace of the hole on her sleeve. She couldn't recall fixing it the night before. It appeared to be already fixed, as-good-as-new. She started to question it the third time it happened.As she got busy with schoolwork, the mystery flew from her mind. Whenever her questions resurfaced, she brushed it off as unexplainable good luck. After all, it was just a sweater."aka Marinette follows her sense of curiosity and ends up unraveling a mystery far bigger than she expected.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jim Lake Jr.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 40





	1. Sneaking Suspicions

**Author's Note:**

> [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth), this fanfic is for you!

It was the little things that first caught Marinette's attention.

She didn't notice at first. But when she woke up after another long night studying and checked the sweater she'd planned to repair, there was no trace of the hole on her sleeve. She couldn't recall fixing it the night before. It appeared to be already fixed, as-good-as-new. She started to question it the third time it happened.

The mystery flew from her mind as she became even busier with schoolwork and the responsibilities of being student president. She barely thought about it as she raced through her days, trying her best to be a good student and a good friend. Whenever her questions resurfaced, she brushed it off as unexplainable good luck. After all, it was just a sweater.

Then, Marinette began to notice that her in-process clothing designs were always finished earlier than she thought they'd be. It didn't alarm her at first. It was entirely possible that she'd just forgotten the unaccounted time.

She thought, _I'm just being too paranoid. Nothing extraordinarily unusual has ever happened to me and I have no reason to worry so much._ So, she left it at that.

However, the night before the big Math final changed everything.

— — — — —

Marinette was so bone-tired that she was starting to doubt she'd ever slept in her entire life. She held her pencil limply in her hand, determined to finish the last question in a long line of tough worksheet questions. Just one more, and she'd be done all her studying for tomorrow's Math final. She slowly wrote out the final answer, her eyelids drooping heavily until they finally closed shut.

The light from her window woke her up. As she regained consciousness, she discovered that she'd actually fallen asleep at her desk. Blurry thoughts swam through her head as she struggled to open her eyes, trying to piece together the previous evening. She spotted the completed Math review worksheet in front of her, and closed her eyes in relief.

A moment later, she quickly sat up, fully awake and filling with panic. _The shoes! I forgot to sew the last embroidered flowers on the shoes for Alya! We're going to celebrate her birthday right after class is over. How could I forget to finish my best friend's gift??_ Marinette picked up the deep blue flats from her desk, ready to assess her unfinished work. She might be able to finish it this morning if she hurried. She looked, and her train of thought halted. She looked again, turning the shoes over. Her eyes blinked rapidly, a cloud of confusion settling on her.

The shoes were finished.

She peered closely at the side of one shoe, her thumb running over the design. It was _her_ flowers, it was _her_ design, but it could not have been _her_ that finished sewing them. The yellow petals stood out beautifully from the deep blue background, each blossom alighting on a elegant, green, vine pattern. As she looked closer, she noticed that the flowers became smaller towards the heel of the shoe. She squinted at them, her confusion growing when she realized that the embroidered flowers were smaller than even _she_ could sew. The fine embroidery stopped at the end of the vine, a tiny flower next to a tiny, green leaf.

"Marinette! Breakfast is ready, sweetie!"

Marinette jumped, nearly knocking down her desk chair as she stood up. She scanned her whole room, planning what she'd need to take to school. Then, she jumped into action. She gathered everything she needed, and got herself ready for the day in record time. She only paused once in her hurrying, staring at the shoes on her desk.

 _I'm not sure what to make of this. I guess I can think about it later, after school is over_ , she mused. Then, Marinette quickly snapped some photos of the shoes, taking care to get good close-ups of the embroidery. After tucking away her phone, she dropped the shoes into a brightly coloured birthday bag, picked up her backpack, and rushed down the stairs to breakfast.

In her haste to get ready, Marinette didn't notice the person watching her intently, partially hidden from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first JiMari fanfic!!
> 
> Thank you [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth), for getting me into this crossover ship!!
> 
> This fic is inspired by a fic idea of [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth) and a fairy tale.
> 
> More coming soon!


	2. Curiouser and Curiouser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette starts to accumulate more questions. Something isn't adding up.

"Wow! These are absolutely gorgeous!! Thank you, Marinette! You've really outdone yourself!"

Alya was bubbling over with complements for Marinette's gift, eyes sparkling as she examined the blue shoes. Marinette grinned, warmed by her friend's complements. However, upon seeing the shoes, she felt confusion rise up again. Alya leaned over to give Marinette a hug, which she warmly returned.

Alya chattered, "These shoes are amazing! And they fit perfectly. This is the best gift! It's so cool that you made them yourself!"

"Yeah..." Marinette trailed off distractedly.

Alya continued, "It feels like it was only yesterday that your Mom was teaching us how to sew properly, right? I remember, it was like a spark lit up inside you and you've been going at it ever since!"

"Yeah," Marinette said, wheels turning in her head, "My Mom did teach us."

Nino leaned over to look at the shoes. He commented, "Those are pretty awesome! Nice work, Marinette."

Alya reached over to casually sling an arm around Marinette's shoulders. Alya exclaimed, "Right? We've got ourselves a star!"

For the rest of the party, Marinette remained deep in thought. Alya noticed her best friend become quieter, but assumed that it was because Adrien had just arrived.

— — — — —

"Mom? I need to ask you something."

"Sure," her Mom smiled at her as Marinette walked into the kitchen. "What can I help you with?"

"Did you, at all, help me get my present for Alya finished in time?" Marinette stumbled over her words, nerves fluttering in her stomach.

"No," her Mom replied, "Why did you ask?"

"I, um, thought that you did. That is, help me finish it while I was swamped with all that Math studying. But... you didn't, so, I guess I was mistaken," Marinette nervously rambled. She squeaked out, "I finished them! I mean, finished her gift on time. So... Great."

Her Mom asked, "What did you make for Alya? A hat?"

"....No, I embroidered a pair of shoes," Marinette finally managed to reply. The nerves in her core graduated from fluttering to writhing. More questions rose up in her mind, but Marinette had a strong feeling that her Mom wouldn't be able to answer all of them. She hastily finished, "Um, thank you! See you later."

Sabine watched her daughter leave the room, and shook her head a little. Sweet as she was, sometimes her daughter made no sense at all.

— — — — —

The rapidly growing amount of questions kept Marinette awake: she felt too jittery to fall asleep. She soon got bored of tossing and turning, and was now blankly staring at her ceiling. The ceiling had no answers for her. She was starting to get bored of this, too. Great. It wasn't like she could see in the dark.

At the very edge of Marinette's hearing, she gradually became aware of a scratching sound. Well, not exactly scratching, but it was the best way she could describe it. She tilted her head, trying to calculate what direction the sound was coming from. As soon as she moved, it stopped.

A few minutes later, the sound started up again, even fainter than before. Marinette strained her ears to hear it. _I think that it's coming from.... my desk?_ The realization caused her to bolt upright, her hands clenching the fabric of her blankets. She didn't hear the sound after that. It was like it had disappeared.

She waited as the minutes crept by, but nothing happened. The sound didn't return. Although she listened carefully, all she could hear was the familiar sounds of the city. Eventually, Marinette dropped back down into her bed, her nerves feeling more frazzled than before. Slowly, her thoughts became heavier and blurrier, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the suspense! Everything is not what it seems. I can't wait to get to the real action! More coming soon :D


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes a plan

Her plan was simple.

Marinette sat under her desk, hugging her knees to her chest, and trying to be as quiet as possible. She even kept her breathing quiet. She was completely focused on her mission. For a few days, the sound had stopped, and she was close to convincing herself that she'd just imagined it. Until the fifth night, that is. That night, she'd finally heard the scratching sound again just as she was falling asleep.

Tonight, she took every precaution she could. Her desk was totally clean, so that she wouldn't clumsily knock anything off of it while standing up. She'd left out a pair of unfinished embroidered gloves, intended to be a Mother's day gift. She'd figured that she could afford to stay up late, since it was a Saturday night. She'd even put some extra pillows under her bedcovers, just in case.

Marinette had always been an intensely curious person, and this inexplicable mystery was killing her.

All of a sudden, Marinette became aware of a faint noise coming from her desk. She barely stopped herself from flinching. It was.... a consistent tapping noise. She heard a barely audible sound of rustling, and then the familiar scratching noise came soon after. Marinette forced herself to stay seated, deciding that the best course of action would be to exercise patience.

It has to be close to midnight, Marinette thought, Last time, the noise stopped when I moved. I can wait a little longer.

The minutes ticked by, an excruciating amount of time to Marinette. The scratching sound above her fell into a rhythm. After she estimated that she'd waited for 10 minutes, she chose to go into action. First, she stretched her legs out very slowly, doing her best to remain quiet. She twisted herself in order to move from under the desk to a kneeling position in front of it. The sound didn't falter. Marinette gripped her desk chair for stability, and gradually stood up. Holding her breath, she carefully reached out and turned on her desk lamp.

A shocked gasp escaped her lips. She had not expected this.

Who would expect to discover an impossibly small person standing on their desk?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, I know. But this fic is starting to ramp up. I'm really excited to post next week's chapter! Hang in there! :D


	4. When the Light Came On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When the light turned on, startling Jim into standing up, one thought flew to the front of his mind:
> 
> I should have listened to them."
> 
> aka the moment you've been waiting for ;)

Jim had been warned.

His mother, fondly tucking his hair behind his ears, had made him promise to not walk around the human house during the daytime. His tutor had Jim repeatedly recite the three most important rules until he'd memorized them. And then Blinky had instructed him to memorize most of his favourite tome (Jim could never recall the entirety of the chapter on plants). Even Strickler had cautioned Jim to never take unnecessary risks, and to always be fully aware of his surroundings. Jim didn't agree with Stickler on most things, but he could still see the sense in Strickler's motto: it only takes one mistake to ruin everything you've worked towards.

Jim could argue that he had been as careful as he could be. And technically, he hadn't gone out during the daytime. But.... when he'd spotted the soft gloves just lying on the desk during his patrol... and had overheard that they meant to be a Mother's day gift... He'd chosen to break his resolution to stop his night trips. He just couldn't resist the urge to help. Of course, he had not expected this to happen.

When the light turned on, startling Jim into standing up, one thought flew to the front of his mind:

_I should have listened to them._

Jim blinked rapidly, desperately trying to adapt to the sudden light. He peered forward, but was unable to bring anything into focus. Something caught his attention from the corner of his vision. His ears involuntarily twitched when he realized that it was actually a hand, casually resting on the edge of the desk. An enormous hand.

His eyes silently traced it, dread churning in his stomach with every passing second. Gradually, he noticed that the hand was attached to an arm, which was attached to a shoulder, which belonged to....

Jim gasped as his vision came into focus all at once. He could _see_ her and most of the shocked expression on her face. He felt more than heard her let out a gasp, similar to his. He felt rooted to the ground in shock, his mind whirling. Of course, he knew who she was: he'd seen her around the house before. But she was usually much further away from him. And, you know, not staring directly at him.

As soon as his brain caught up, Jim let out a squeak, and started to run back to the hidden entrance. He heard another loud gasp behind him, but stayed focused on his goal. He was so close. He was only a foot away from the wall when something huge dropped directly in front of him. He skid to a stop, barely able to keep himself from crashing into the unknown object. He quickly checked both sides, but couldn't see a way out. He was surrounded.

In the dim lighting, his eyesight quickly readjusted. After all, he did have excellent night vision. He studied the strange walls around him, the highest point reaching the height of his shoulders. A shudder ran through his whole body as he came to a terrifying realization: the walls were actually two giant hands.

He was trapped. The hands around him could grab him at any moment, and they'd be too fast for him to stop.

Jim slowly turned around, looking up at the spot where he'd last seen the girl. From his perspective, her face was cloaked in shadows. However, the lamplight revealed the extent of her arms, seeming to be infinitely long. Nervous chills ran down his spine, his shoulders twitching from being way too close to a human.

Jim involuntarily let out a yelp when the human suddenly shifted above him, moving to lean over him. Jim forced himself to not back up, to not walk into the giant fingers surrounding him. From this new angle, Jim could see part of her face. The lamp, angled downward, only illuminated the bottom half of her face in a mask-like fashion. Jim's eyes could barely catch a glint of light from where her eyes must be.

Jim felt his breathing speed up, and forced himself to look at the ground. His body unconsciously started trembling. He squeezed his eyes shut as he realized he never stood a chance. He had been overconfident, and now he had to pay the price for it.

Tilting his head up again, he struggled to take in a full breath. He felt his heart rate speed up. He hated how he remained frozen on the spot, completely paralyzed. His mouth felt dry, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. _I shouldn't have come tonight. I really shouldn't have come back tonight._

His shoulders twitched anxiously as he began to speak, but he forced himself to go on. He said nervously, but loudly, "Please... Please don't hurt me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Jim and Marinette meet each other.... in the most awkward way possible. Can't wait to post Marinette's perspective on this meeting!
> 
> btw, I've really enjoyed writing this fanfic! And reading positive comments has been encouraging and heartwarming. So, thank you for commenting. It has been a rough couple of weeks. But I'm planning to finish this fic, even if there are a few gaps between updates. More coming soon!


	5. The Aftermath of Good Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In her defense, it's not every day that one meets a mythical, fantastic creature. Marinette is faced with the challenge of amending her impulsive actions after she, uh, meets Jim.

To say that Marinette was surprised would be a huge understatement.

She was frozen in shock, staring at the small figure on her desk. Her mind grappled with this huge change to her reality and struggled to catch up. The person standing beside the pair of gloves stared back, looking just as shocked as she felt.

She snapped out of her shocked daze when the figure started running away. She gasped again, then reached out before she even knew what she was doing. Her sense of curiosity burned like a crackling fire, overtaking all other instincts. She cupped both of her hands around the small person. She watched as he caught himself before he fell. He looked even smaller standing next to her hands.

When he turned around, she saw his shoulders twitch in surprise. She leaned forward in order to see him better, and he let out a short yelp. In the dim lighting, she was surprised to see that.... He was a boy, one who looked as young as her. Dark hair framed his narrow face, and he wore plain, brown clothes. She drank in every detail: his old-fashioned jacket, his wide open blue eyes, his unexpectedly fast movements. The unusual sight was mesmerizing to Marinette.

A small, but very clear, voice broke her out of her trance.

"Please... Please don't hurt me."

Marinette blinked a couple times, her thoughts finally settling down. She glanced down at him, her breath hitching as she slowly realized that he looked scared. No, _terrified_. A vision flashed across her mind, imagining how intimidating she must look like to this tiny person. She cringed, suddenly scrambling to find the right words to fix her impulsive actions.

"I won't hurt you. I promise," Marinette started, but paused when her mind blanked out. She took in a deep breath, then continued, "I, uh, I will let you go. But, before you run off, could we talk? Please?"

Marinette blushed, embarrassed by her awkwardness. She was surprised to hear the boy speak up.

He cautiously asked, "Why do you want to talk?"

Marinette answered, "I'd really like to get to know you better! I, um, I noticed signs of your help. The shoes, and patching up my sweater, and, you know. And my curiosity got the better of me."

Silence hung between the two of them for a few seconds. Finally, the boy answered, "I, um, I think I can stay to talk."

Marinette smiled in relief, and removed her hands from the table. The boy was wide-eyed as he tracked her movements with his eyes. His posture was clearly tense, but after a few moments, he started to walk forward. His boots quietly tapped against the wood as he came towards her. When he stepped into the light, he held up his hand to shield his eyes.

The boy twitched again when Marinette spoke up. "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"

"Yeah," the boy said, then paused to think, "Could you please move the light? I can't really see your face, and it's sort of blinding me right now."

Marinette complied, adjusting it so it was positioned above the boy and angled at her. "Is that better?" she asked gently, realizing she should lower her voice a bit.

"Yes," the boy answered. He nervously ran a hand through his hair as he continued, "Also, I'd, um... I wouldn't mind having something to sit on."

"Sure!" Marinette rushed to say. She scanned her shelves, then took out an large old-fashioned matchbox that stored her miscellaneous buttons. She placed it beside the small figure. A few moments later, he sat down.

"So, let's start over. I'm Marinette. What's your name?" she asked, trying to adopt a friendly tone.

"I'm Jim," he replied.

"I hope this isn't too rude, but what are you? I've never seen anyone like you," she confessed as she nervously tugged on her hair.

Jim said, beginning to smile a little, "I'm a house elf. Honestly, I've never been this close to a human before."

"Really?" she exclaimed. Then, she remembered how terrified he'd been just minutes ago. She began to fidget even more with the ends of her hair, "Uh, um, well.... I'm sorry for scaring you. I was really curious to know what was really going on, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry for how I acted. I didn't even think."

Marinette forced herself to look at Jim's face, and discovered that he looked surprised. He tripped over his words, "Oh. Um, I, ah-er-um. You did scare me. A lot, actually. But, um, thank you for apologizing. You couldn't have expected this. I, well, I kind of get it. Sometimes, my curiosity gets the best of me, too!"

"Is that why you helped me finish my designs? Curiosity?" Marinette asked, eager for answers.

"N-not exactly," Jim explained, lacing his hands behind his neck, "I, just, I saw how busy you are all the time. That you so were hardworking and excited and, well, that you didn't have enough time to finish your own projects. I-I couldn't just idly stand by. I wanted to help, you know? I just wanted to help you with them."

Jim straightened up, then peered up at her through his messy hair. He cautiously asked, "Are you, uh.... Are you mad at me?"

Marinette blinked in confusion, "For what?"

Jim continued, "For finishing your projects."

"No, no, I'm not mad at all," she rushed to reassure him. She saw his shoulders visibly drop in relief.

"In fact..." she said, seeing Jim's ears perk up at her tone. Short, pointed ears, she noted. "I was really amazed at the work you did. The embroidery on the blue shoes was so fine and intricate. It really blew me away! How did you sew such small, beautiful flowers?"

Jim's smile brightened from the warmth of her complements. He got up to walk over to the soft, half-finished gloves. Marinette noted with surprise that there was a small, brown satchel beside the gloves, which she hadn't noticed earlier. Jim went over to it, and searched through the bag. He produced two items, though she couldn't tell exactly what they were, before turning back to her.

"This is my needle," Jim described, holding it up in his hand. Marinette peered at it, but could only make out the loop of the thin, sharp object. He continued, "I actually made it out of a discarded needle I found. I had to shave it down so it would be easier to carry, but it works fine. And I use these scissors, also handmade, to cut the thread after I'm done sewing."

Marinette smiled, wrapped up in listening to Jim chatter on about his sewing process. Once in a while, she would interrupt with a question. But for the most part, she was content to listen. She saw him light up with a inner energy when he began to speak. And over time, he started to relax around her. In that moment, she wanted nothing but to be able to bring that bright, excited smile to his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, finally getting to an actual conversation between the two of them!! Yay! And this is a longer chapter, too. I'm so excited to make it to this chapter!
> 
> btw, it's been turbulent couple of weeks. Posting this fic, and getting closer to finishing it, has been a relief and a wonderful project to focus on. More coming soon!
> 
> EDIT: MIDTERMS!! I've been swamped with work, but I will finish this fic when I can!


	6. Second Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone deserves a second chance. Marinette and Jim discover that they enjoy talking with each other.

_I guess humans aren't that bad when you really get to know them._ Jim smiled as the stray thought passed through his mind.

After the initial shock, Jim found that it was easy to talk to Marinette. She was curious, full of passion, and a great listener. He didn't even notice time passing by. They had started by discussing sewing techniques, and branched out from there.

At one point, Marinette had asked him about his favourite colour. He'd told her it was blue. However, he'd kept himself from mentioning that he always had to wear brown clothing over a blue shirt while outside. Otherwise, he'd be too visible.

_There's a lot that I can't tell her_ , Jim thought _, But I don't see why we can't talk about other things. She seems really kind._

As soon as he was comfortable enough, Jim decided that it was time for him to bring up a very important subject.

He spoke up, "You know, you weren't supposed to see me."

"Oh?" Marinette said.

"It's kind of the second rule," he continued.

"What rule?" Marinette asked.

"It's one of the most important rules," Jim explained, "The second rule is 'Never let yourself be seen.'"

"Ah," Marinette said, starting to blush, "Well, it wasn't your fault. I snuck up on you and surprised you. Um... Will you get into trouble?"

"Not if we don't tell anyone," Jim said, his light tone reflecting his growing smile. He continued with excitement, "There are two other rules. The first rule is 'Always be afraid.' And the third rule is 'Never tell anyone about the magical world.' They're held up above all other rules, and have kept the magical world a secret for many generations."

"Alright," Marinette said, leaning on her hand.

"So.... Can you promise to never tell anyone else about me or the existence of the magical world? Please?" Jim looked up at her encouragingly.

Marinette sat up straighter, and said in a determined tone, "Of course. I promise that I'll never tell anyone about the magical world."

Jim gave her a relieved smile, saying, "Thank you. You know, it's really dangerous to be seen. And not just for me, but for everyone I care about. I was overconfident, and slipped up. But my mistake could have caused lasting consequences for everyone I know. I could have ruined everything."

Marinette's heart sank. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how. Instead, she chose to change the subject, "Well, at least I know who to thank for the last-minute help. I mean it, you know. Your sewing is incredible, and I bet that you could make your own designs with a few pointers. So, thank you so much for helping me."

Jim glanced up at her, the smile returning to his eyes again, "Well, thanks. It was nothing really."

"No, it was not," Marinette said in a teasing voice, "I couldn't stop thinking about your additions to the shoes, and I'm really impressed at how much you finished in just one night! The shoes were a gift for my best friend, you know. And you saved me. Like a knight in shining armour."

Jim blushed at this, and fidgeted with the fabric of his jacket. He searched for words, then hesitated when he realized that Marinette had gone quiet. He looked up at her, sensing that she was nervous about something. He was still reluctant to look directly at her, since it was hard to fully process that he was so close to a human. He was beginning to get used to it as time passed.

"Marinette?" he asked, "Is there something you want to say?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, starting to tug on her hair again, "I, um, I-uh-uh... I was just wondering... And you don't have to if you're not comfortable with it, but... Um.. I wanted to ask... uh.... Could I please pick you up?"

Jim's ears twitched in surprise. It took a few seconds for him to process her question. He finally responded, "Uh, sure."

Marinette's blush had spread across her face and was starting to colour her ears. She stumbled over words, "So, uh, don't feel pressured. I mean, I don't want to pressure you. But I was wondering, I mean, I still feel a bit like I'm dreaming. And I don't, well, I don't know if you'd be okay with this. Or if it's too much. But, um, maybe it could just be for a minute. Um—"

"Marinette," he said firmly, catching her attention, "I said yes. Yes, you can, uh, pick me up. If you're careful."

"Oh," the word dropped from her lips. Surprise mixed in with her embarrassed expression. "Um, okay then!"

Jim stood up, waiting for her to make the first move. Marinette thought it over, then slowly placed her hand palm up beside the boy. Jim stared at the huge hand, still daunted by how surreal it was to be right next to a human. He hesitated, then worked up the courage to step onto her palm. It was softer than he expected, and he stopped when he reached the middle of it.

Jim let out a gasp when Marinette lifted her hand up. He tensed up, struggling to keep his balance with the movement. Even though she took care to be slow, Jim found it difficult to stay standing. When she stopped moving, Jim's knees locked, forcing him to reach out to hold onto her thumb. He took a couple seconds to adjust before he dared to look at her face again.

He was met with her awestruck expression, completely captivating and genuine. He was able to see her much more clearly from up here. She had dark hair that curled slightly at the ends, and soft features. When he looked into her bright blue eyes, the tension inside him melted away. Her eyes were so open and honest and, well, big. He couldn't look away. Neither of them spoke for a while.

Jim was the first to speak. He said, "So.... Do you still feel like you're dreaming now?"

Marinette blinked a couple times before replying, "Um, no. Not quite. I mean, I still feel like I'm dreaming. But I don't have any doubt now. This _is_ real. I-I almost can't believe that this is happening. You're so incredible."

"Well... I mean, I _know_ I am," Jim teased her.

Marinette said, "That's not what I meant and you know that!" She let out a small giggle, but it made her hand tremble, causing Jim to grip her thumb tighter. In an instant, Marinette felt more conscious of Jim's perspective.

"Do you want me to put you down now?" she asked.

"Uh.... Yes, please," he hesitantly answered.

Marinette took care to move as slowly as she could. As soon as her hand was level with the table, Jim stepped back onto the familiar surface. He couldn't help thinking, _Whoa. It's going to take a long time to get used to that._

"Thank you," he said, wanting to show that he appreciated her carefulness.

"You're welcome," Marinette said warmly, expression breaking into a grin. She was so relieved that she hadn't scared him off.

Jim smiled back, an idea starting to take root in his mind. He started to say, "Well, I know that I can't tell you about the rest of my world. But, I kind of want to _show_ you."

"Yeah?" Marinette said with an undercurrent of excitement, "I'd love to see."

"Among other magical beings, elves only have a fraction of magical abilities. And house elves even less. But I do have a little bit..." he trailed off with a teasing lilt.

Marinette gave a short nod, too excited to speak. Jim's eyes glinted with energy, and he put both of his hands in front of him. He brought his hands together, then pulled them apart vertically, pinpoints of light appearing between them. He swiveled his right hand so that they both palms faced up, then quickly thrust his hands upward. The globes of light flew up and burst, each one exploding into trails of different colours. The trails floated down past Jim's shoulders, each spark burning out before it could land. He looked past the sparks to see Marinette's expression of rapt attention. Her eyes sparkled with awe.

Jim produced more clusters of sparks, even shaping one bunch into a glowing flower before it burst. He could feel the release of his magic, as it transferred from the center of his core into the air. Perhaps he was showing off, just a bit. But just as Marinette couldn't tear her eyes away from the sparks, Jim couldn't stop looking at Marinette's shimmering, deep blue eyes.

"Your magic," she whispered, "It's beautiful."

"Yeah," Jim said distractedly, staring at her eyes, "It is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes!! I'm so excited to post this chapter in particular because it is so fluffy and sweet, and full of dialogue!
> 
> One more chapter to go!


	7. When Can I See You Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They could have talked all night. But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

Marinette was so wrapped up in the moment that she completely forgot about the passing of time. Her body, however, did not. Hours later, Marinette felt a shiver go through her body, and had to cover up a yawn. She glanced over at her desk clock, and was surprised to note that it was almost 4AM. She looked back just in time to see Jim covering up a yawn as well.

"It's late," Marinette stated, rubbing her tired eyes, "I think we should call it a night."

Jim tilted his head in confusion. It took a couple seconds before Marinette realized she had to explain further. "I mean, we should probably go and get some rest. And, like, stop talking."

"Right, right," Jim said, feeling a bit blurry around the edges. He hadn't noticed that it had gotten late either. "I guess I should go now."

"I'm really sorry," Marinette started to say, "For startling you earlier."

"It's alright, I'm fine now," Jim reassured her, "It's not like you _knew_ you were looking for me."

"Of course," Marinette teased, "Who would expect a 3-inch-tall person sneaking around their room?"

"4-inches-tall!" Jim insisted, standing up to brush himself off. He spoke as he walked over to get his satchel, "I stood near a ruler once. I am _not_ 3-inches-tall."

"Alright. Four," Marinette repeated, her smile creeping into her eyes. As she watched him get his belongings together, her heart fluttered with a realization.

"Wait," Marinette implored him. He turned his head to look at her, and she noticed his pointed ears twitch up at her interruption. "I, um, I was wondering if you'd like to come back another day to talk?"

She held her breath as she waited for him to answer. Her question took him by surprise, but he was able to gather his thoughts a few seconds later.

"Oh! I, um, yeah! I'd like to come back. Yeah, sure," Jim replied.

"Does tomorrow night work for you?" Marinette ventured.

Jim hastened to say, "Yeah, that would work. I'd love to talk more!"

Marinette's face melted into a smile, her heart lifting as a new idea struck her. She added, "I could bring a sweet pastry. You know, to thank you for your generous help. I mean, I do live right above a bakery. So, I could bring up some chocolate croissants or something. If you want, that is."

After a few moments, Jim smiled back at her. He enthusiastically replied, "Sure! That would be great!"

Jim finished buttoning up his bag, and slung it across his shoulders. He turned to look at her one more time, pleased to know he'd talk with her again.

"So, tomorrow?" Jim asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yeah," Marinette happily confirmed, "See you tomorrow!"

She watched him walk over to the wall, and wave his hand in front of it. An opening appeared, and a moment later, he was gone. Leaving no trace behind. Marinette smiled to herself as she tidied her desk, and turned off the light. She felt warm inside, quietly giggling as she fixed her bed, and lay back down. She felt lighter, and excited, but calmed, and incredibly buoyant! As she drifted off to sleep, she hugged the biggest and most wonderful feeling to herself.

The feeling of discovering a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are kindred souls because he fixed her shoes!! Her soles! ;)
> 
> Finally, I finished this fanfic! I really enjoyed writing this, and I appreciate all of your kind comments! They have encouraged me and lifted my spirits! Thank you.
> 
> I'm not done with this AU. I've got a bunch of ideas for it, which might turn into a series of fics....
> 
> We'll see :D
> 
> Thanks again [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth) for beta-reading this, and encouraging me to post fanfics!


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